Witchweed (Striga)
Description
Witchweeds are characterized by bright-green stems and leaves and small, brightly colored and attractive flowers. They are obligate hemiparasites of roots and require a living host for germination and initial development, though they can then survive on their own. The genus is classified in the family Orobanchaceae,although older classifications place it in the Scrophulariaceae. The number of species is uncertain, but may exceed 40 by some counts.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Scrophulariales
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Family: Scrophulariaceae
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Genus: Striga
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